Motor control and piston position indicating device



Aug. 22, 1950 P. E. TENNEFOS 2,520,071

MOTOR CONTROL AND PISTON POSITION INDICATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1949 INVENTOR.

pefefi f. 723/7/767CO5 A: DRNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR CONTROL AND PISTON POSITION INDICATING DEVICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for causing rotation of the crankshaft of an engine through predetermined degrees at the will of the operator so that the tappets of the engine may be ad- ,j usted.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device for aiding in properly setting tappets of an engine when the crankshaft of the engine of the automobile is revolved and then stopped at the firing position of each piston in the various cylinders so that the mechanic may reset the tappets of the valves with full tolerance for each cylinder, a push button independent of the usual starting mechanism of the automobile adapted to close a circuit to the starter motor whereby the crankshaft of the engine and the rotor of the distributor will be revolved, a lamp being in circuit with the distributor rotor and being illuminated to indicate that the piston has reached the firingposition.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for closing electric circuits to a starter motor and a lamp for moving the pistons consecutively to the firing positions and for indicating said positions so that the mechanic may reset the tappets of the valves of the engine, a manually operated switch controlling the movements of the pistons to the :firing positions and the stopping of said pistons when the lamp is lighted.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eflicient device having electric wires extending therefrom which are adapted to be attached respectively to the rotor of the distributor, the starting motor and the ground of an automobile, the device including a housing for a push button switch and a lamp connected by one of the wires to the distributor so that when the switch is closed temporarily, the crankshaft of the engine of the automobile will be revolved and the lamp will be illuminated when a piston in a cylinder reaches the firing position, the piston being stopped at this time by the release of the push button whereby a mechanic may reset the valve tappets of said cylinder, successive rotation of the crankshaft by increments bringing the remaining pistons to the firing positions for adjustment of the tappets of the valves.

This invention is best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification, nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that the invention is not confined to the disclosure but is susceptible of such changes and modifications as shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of my device for causing the pistons of an automobile engine to be moved to the firing positions in order to reset the valve tappets;

Figure .2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the main body of the device, taken along the line 2-2 of FigureB; and,

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation of the device as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2, showing a lamp and reflector in said end.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates a starter motor for turning over the crankshaft for starting the internal combustion engine of an automobile. The starter motor is rotated when the usual push button on the dash is pressed for closing a circuit to a solenoid which, in turn closes a switch in the circuit of said motor. The motor l0 has a ground at H anda, positivecontact l2 which forms a terminal of the solenoid circuit.

A cylindrical housing l3, formed of metal, has its opposite ends open. The inner walls of the housing as shown at M and I5 and at the ends of said housing are tapered with the wider portions of the taper being wat the open ends of the housing. The tapered end 15 has an internal .flange 15. ,An opening is formed in the bottom of the cylinder and a circular insulating member 1:! ,is applied to the opening. Spaced flanges l8 and i9, engaging respectively the inner and outer .faces of the housing, retain the insulating ring or member in place.

.A push button switch 210 is mounted for reciprocation in a casing 2.! which has a fiange :22 seated on one end of the housing 113. .A wire ring .23 is mounted in an annular groove at the in- ;ner end of the casing and two diametrically disposed spring arms '24 extend outwardly from said ring. The free .end of each arm has an inbent portion 25 which engages the inner face of the .flange Hi. It will be noted that the arms diverge .so that when the casing ,is forced inwardly of the housing, the spring arms will be moved progressively towards the casing by the flange [5 until the free end of said arms clear the flange whence the inbent portions 25 will snap into locking position at the inner face of said flange. A positive contact 26 projects from the inner end of the casing 2i and is connected to a wire 21 leading through the insulating ring or member IT in the bottom of the casing.

A clip 3c of well known construction is con nected to the other end of the wire 21. The clip clamps upon the contact 52 which is in circuit with the solenoid of the starter motor Ill. A wire 3i has one end secured to a clip 32 which grips or is connected to the negative side of a battery 33, which in turn is grounded to a part of the metal frame construction of the vehicle. The other end of the wire is attached to one of the spring arms 24 as shown at 34 in Figure 2. When the push button is pressed inwardly it closes the circuit to the motor is by a bridging member (not shown) on the button.

A lamp 35 has a metallic sleeve 35 threaded into an opening in a circular reflector 3i which is pressed into the tapered portion l5 of the housing IS. A sleeve 38 is secured to the inner face of the bulb supporting reflector 3! and its longitudinal axis aligns with the longitudinal axis of the lamp. A contact pin 48 is slidable in a passage in the inner closed end of the sleeve with the outer end of the pin engaging the usual contact M at the inner end of the lamp. A pis ton 42 is slidable in the'sleeve and the pi 40 passes through the piston and is attached thereto. A compression spring 43, between the piston and the inner closed end of the sleeve, retains the outer end of the sleeve 38. The pin'is also insulated from piston where said pin is attached thereto to prevent short-circuiting of the lamp 35.

A wire 46 has one end attached to the inner eluding a distributor, an electric startermotor and end of the pin 68 where said pin projects beyondc A wire 58 connects the contact,"

tween one of said arms and the grounded battery 33. The metal sleeve 36 of the lamp is threaded through the metallic reflecting plate 31 which has its periphery in contact with the housing i3 so that the plate and the housin act as the ground for the lamp.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the various elements of the apparatus attached to the ground, the contact I2 and the contact 48, the button 20 may be pushed inwardly. When this happens, the motor it) will revolve the crankshaft of the automobile engine and the rotor of the distributor will be revolved. As the distributor closes the circuit to the lamp to energize the same, the button will be released and the engine will be stopped.

The illumination of the lamp will disclose the firing position of a piston in a cylinder and will indicate to the mechanic when to release the push 1 button. The tappets of the valves of said cylinder may be properly set with the aid of a feeler guage for full tolerance on the particular cylinder. This process is repeated until the tappets for all of. the cylinders have been set,

a ground, said device comprising a metal housing, a push button switch at one end of the housing, a lamp in the other end thereof, a wire connected between the positive side of the starter motor and a contact of the switch, a second wire connected between the other contact of the switch and a ground on the engine, and a Wire connected between the positive side of the distributor and a lamp contact, means connecting the ground wire with the housing and means connecting the other lamp contact with the housing, bridging of the switch contacts by the push button causing closing of the circuit to the electric starter motor for turning over the engine until the lamp is lighted by the distributor when the push button is released to stop the engine so that a mechanic may adjust the tappets of valves of each cylinder as the respective pistons reach the firing positions;

2. A device for causing the pistons of an automobile engine to be moved to the firing positions and for indicating said positions, the engine including a distributor, an electric starter motor and a ground, said device comprising an elongated housing, a switch and an exposed lamp in the housing, a spring pressed button for closing the switch, means conductively and removably connecting a switch contact with the positive side of the electric motor, means connecting a second switch contact with the ground so that when the switch is closed, the engine will be turned over until the button is released, a wire removably connecting a lamp contact with the positive side of the distributor, the other lamp contact being connected to the ground, the lamp being illuminated by the distributor when the various pistons of the engine reach the firing positions for indicating to the mechanic when to release the spring pressed button.

PETER EUGENE TENNEFOS.

No references cited. 

